Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 19, 2024 37 GAME PREVIEW: GEORGIA TECH Notre Dame has shown that it does not need to sack quarterbacks to have success in its pass de- fense; it only needs to rattle the opposing signal- caller enough to force poor decisions and let the playmakers take over. No one has been able to quite crack the Irish secondary, and while Georgia Tech features a strong passing offense, it won't be the exception. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. GEORGIA TECH RUN DEFENSE Remember stuff rate? Georgia Tech's was 32.1 percent, which is the second-highest in the coun- try behind Tennessee through Week 6. The Yellow Jackets were also No. 20 in the country in rushing yards per carry against at 3.1. Most recently, Georgia Tech held a strong Louis- ville run game to 27 carries for 57 yards and Duke to 20 carries for 47 yards. Redshirt junior defen- sive tackle Jordan van den Berg, standing 6-foot- 3, 305 pounds, has been huge with 6 run stops (tackles that result in a failure for the offense) in just 61 run defense snaps. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Kyle Efford and redshirt junior defen- sive end Romello Height lead the way with 12 and 10 stops, respectively. Much like when the Irish faced Louisville, this is good on good. During that game, Notre Dame rushed for just more than 4 yards per carry (29 carries for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns). The Car- dinals did a good job clogging lanes up the middle and stopping Notre Dame's inside zone game, particularly in the second half. They also did well to prevent big plays, a lengthy throwback screen pass to sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love notwithstanding. There is one Georgia Tech weakness to note here: tackling. SIS had the Yellow Jackets at No. 90 nationally in broken/missed tackle rate, coming in at 13.0 percent. That's good news for Love, senior quarterback Riley Leonard and junior running back Jadarian Price, particularly the first two. Love and Leonard STAFF PREDICTIONS Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 28, Georgia Tech 20 With its top passer, rusher and receiver returning in 2024 from an offense that finished fourth in the ACC in scoring last season (31.1 points a game), Georgia Tech was expected to lean on its offense this season to find any success. And while the Yellow Jackets are averaging 31.5 points a game in 2024, surprisingly, it's been their defense that has drawn more attention. Through six games, Georgia Tech ranked 11th nationally in rushing defense (87.5 yards per game) and 28th in scoring defense (19.3 points a game). Turnovers — or the lack thereof — will be a storyline to watch. The Yellow Jackets will be a dangerous and balanced opponent, so expect a good tussle in this game through the first half, but for Notre Dame to find a way late. Steve Downey: Notre Dame 26, Georgia Tech 23 With undefeated Navy looming the following week, Notre Dame would be well advised not to look ahead in what could be a good old-fashioned trap game against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets will be playing in their backyard, and boasted the top rush defense in the ACC and the 11th-best nationally while allowing 19.3 points per game heading into Week 7. The Fighting Irish need more consistent play from quarterback Riley Leonard in the passing game, something offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock insists is coming. Leonard's running ability will be key to the Irish making a dent in the Yellow Jackets' stingy run defense, but he should also be able to make the necessary strides throwing the ball against a shoddy pass defense. If he can do that and avoid turnovers — notably, the Jackets had just 2 takeaways through six games — the Irish will pull this one out in a closer-than-anticipated contest. Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 28, Georgia Tech 27 While Marcus Freeman's teams on the road against ACC opponents have produced mixed results, the Irish have not lost to Georgia Tech in Atlanta since 1976. So, I am giving Notre Dame the slightest of edges in this game. One thing to be mindful of is Riley Leonard is 0-1 against the Yellow Jackets as a starter. Georgia Tech also has the better quarterback in Haynes King. Still, the Irish defense is much bet- ter than the Yellow Jackets, which should help Notre Dame escape Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a win. Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 30, Georgia Tech 13 These neutral site games can be wacky and unpredictable when Notre Dame plays a capable opponent, and Georgia Tech is exactly that, even if they aren't as strong of a foe as we all expected coming out of the Week 0 win over Florida State. Still, the Yellow Jackets have enough playmakers on offense and are well-coached enough to put up a fight on defense. They're going to want to defend their home city of Atlanta. The Fighting Irish are going to want to start the second half of the season with a Power Four win away from home, though, and that's just what they're going to do. This one might not ever reach blowout level, but it'll always feel firmly in the hands of the Irish after a quick start and enough points added here and there for a comfortable win. Mike Singer: Notre Dame 34, Georgia Tech 14 This should be a fun matchup in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and could be entertaining for a bit, but Georgia Tech just doesn't have the fire- power to keep up with Notre Dame. I don't see this game as a blowout, but I do like the Fighting Irish to win comfortably. Jack Soble: Notre Dame 38, Georgia Tech 20 Notre Dame's season-opening win has aged quite well. Georgia Tech's has not, with Florida State proving to be an absolute train wreck. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, lost to Louisville and Syracuse. This is still a game the Irish can lose, but Georgia Tech isn't the upstart many thought it was after the FSU win. The Yellow Jackets can run the ball on the Irish, which is why they'll cross the 20-point threshold. But this one shouldn't be close at the end. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Kyle Efford led Georgia Tech with 12 run stops during its 4-2 start. PHOTO COURTESY GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS